The Long Way Home · chapter 1 of 3
No Tickets Left
没有票了
Xiao Lin tells her mom she isn't coming home — then tries to sneak back for New Year, just as every ticket sells out.
Hear the chapter
Read what you hear
- Xiao Lin 我叫小林。我在上海工作，已经三年了。
Wǒ jiào Xiǎo Lín. Wǒ zài Shànghǎi gōngzuò, yǐjīng sān nián le.
My name is Xiao Lin. I've been working in Shanghai for three years.
- Xiao Lin 三年，我一次也没有回家过年。
Sān nián, wǒ yí cì yě méiyǒu huí jiā guònián.
In three years, I haven't gone home for New Year even once.
- Xiao Lin 工作太忙了，车票太难买了。每一年，我都有理由。
Gōngzuò tài máng le, chēpiào tài nán mǎi le. Měi yì nián, wǒ dōu yǒu lǐyóu.
Work was too busy. Tickets were too hard to get. Every year, I had a reason.
- Xiao Lin 今天是腊月二十八。妈妈又打来了电话。
Jīntiān shì làyuè èrshíbā. Māma yòu dǎ lái le diànhuà.
Today is the twenty-eighth of the last lunar month. Mom calls again.
- Mom 小林，今年……你回来吗？
Xiǎo Lín, jīnnián… nǐ huílái ma?
Xiao Lin, this year… are you coming home?
- Xiao Lin 妈，今年还是不回去了。公司很忙。
Mā, jīnnián háishi bù huíqù le. Gōngsī hěn máng.
Mom, I'm not coming this year either. Work's really busy.
- Mom 哦……好，好。那你一个人，要吃好一点。
Ò… hǎo, hǎo. Nà nǐ yí gè rén, yào chī hǎo yìdiǎn.
Oh… okay, okay. Then make sure you eat well, on your own.
- Xiao Lin 我听见妈妈的声音，一下子低了下去。
Wǒ tīngjiàn māma de shēngyīn, yíxiàzi dī le xiàqù.
I hear Mom's voice suddenly drop.
- Xiao Lin 挂了电话，我笑了。因为我在说谎。
Guà le diànhuà, wǒ xiào le. Yīnwèi wǒ zài shuōhuǎng.
After I hang up, I smile. Because I was lying.
- Xiao Lin 今年，我想给她一个惊喜。我要偷偷地回家。
Jīnnián, wǒ xiǎng gěi tā yí gè jīngxǐ. Wǒ yào tōutōu de huí jiā.
This year, I want to surprise her. I'm going to sneak home.
- Xiao Lin 可是我打开手机，火车票已经全都卖完了。
Kěshì wǒ dǎkāi shǒujī, huǒchē piào yǐjīng quán dōu mài wán le.
But when I open my phone, the train tickets are all sold out.
- Xiao Lin 飞机票也没有了。
Fēijī piào yě méiyǒu le.
The plane tickets are gone too.
- Xiao Lin 我找了一个晚上，终于找到了一张汽车票。
Wǒ zhǎo le yí gè wǎnshang, zhōngyú zhǎodào le yì zhāng qìchē piào.
I search all night, and finally find one bus ticket.
- Xiao Lin 腊月二十九，早上四点出发，到我们县城。
Làyuè èrshíjiǔ, zǎoshang sì diǎn chūfā, dào wǒmen xiànchéng.
The twenty-ninth, leaving at four in the morning, to our county town.
- Xiao Lin 从县城到我家，还有三十公里山路。
Cóng xiànchéng dào wǒ jiā, hái yǒu sānshí gōnglǐ shānlù.
From the county town to my home, it's still thirty kilometers of mountain road.
- Xiao Lin 我买了妈妈喜欢的点心，还有给爸爸的一件新毛衣。
Wǒ mǎi le māma xǐhuan de diǎnxin, hái yǒu gěi bàba de yí jiàn xīn máoyī.
I buy Mom's favorite pastries, and a new sweater for Dad.
- Xiao Lin 箱子很重，可是我的心很轻。
Xiāngzi hěn zhòng, kěshì wǒ de xīn hěn qīng.
My suitcase is heavy, but my heart is light.
- Xiao Lin 早上四点，天很黑，也很冷。
Zǎoshang sì diǎn, tiān hěn hēi, yě hěn lěng.
At four in the morning, it's dark and cold.
- Xiao Lin 汽车站里，很多人和我一样，拿着大包小包。
Qìchēzhàn lǐ, hěn duō rén hé wǒ yíyàng, názhe dà bāo xiǎo bāo.
At the bus station, lots of people are like me, loaded with bags big and small.
- Xiao Lin 大家的脸上都写着两个字：回家。
Dàjiā de liǎn shang dōu xiězhe liǎng gè zì: huí jiā.
Every face says the same two words: going home.
- Xiao Lin 汽车开了。窗外开始下雪了。
Qìchē kāi le. Chuāng wài kāishǐ xià xuě le.
The bus pulls out. Outside the window, it's starting to snow.
- Xiao Lin 那时候，我还不知道，这场雪会有多大。
Nà shíhou, wǒ hái bù zhīdào, zhè chǎng xuě huì yǒu duō dà.
At the time, I had no idea how heavy that snow would get.
What changed in the story?
- How long since Xiao Lin went home for New Year?
“三年，我一次也没有回家过年.”
- Why does Xiao Lin tell her mom she isn't coming?
“我想给她一个惊喜。我要偷偷地回家.”
- What ticket does she finally find?
“终于找到了一张汽车票.”
- What does she buy for her parents?
“妈妈喜欢的点心，还有给爸爸的一件新毛衣.”
- What happens as the bus pulls out?
“窗外开始下雪了.”